Felt Bicycles Z85

2016

Product Details

2016 Felt Bicycles Z85

Felt's Z85 delivers epic road riding fun. Its lightweight butted-aluminum frame and vibration-damping carbon fork make riding efficient and enjoyable, while the smart component spec offers outstanding performance and value. The Felt wheels and tires feel light as a feather and get up to speed fast. A Shimano 105 22-speed drivetrain with wide-range Shimano 105 cranks shifts like a dream and has the easy gears to conquer every climb. Whether riding for fun, fitness or lighting it up on a club ride, the Z85 is an ideal choice.

I wanted this machine for longer (meaning 2-4 hour) rides at steady paces, nothing too aggressive but definitely for fitness, not to just 'ride'. I simply cannot ride this bike for more than an hour-very Uncomfortable for the price...I will be traveling 10 hours get my old bike stored two states away and then throw this bike away literally. Waste of money, time and mental stress.

I've only had the bike a couple of weeks but have logged a couple hundred miles, some with significant hills. Bike is smooth riding, smooth shifting, very happy with it and consider the price fair given the quality components and build. Shifting going up hills can be a little "clunky" and I've had some limited slipping, but nothing too serious. I'm very happy with the bike and recommend it to entry-level riders, or even more experienced riders on a budget.

I love my bike its a good daily rider. I love the responsive handling, light weight, easy to ride. I have put a few hundred miles on mine. I don't think I would get another. Smooth shifting and climbs very well, I haven't had an issue with it at all, if I had a choice to buy the next model z85 or any another bike, I can say that I won't change.

I have been looking for some time to acquire a well deserved quality road bike and could not make my mind up as they are so many brands and offerings. My guys at Kelowna Cycle made me the happiest rider when they showed me the Z85. I could not believe the quality, finish, comfort and beautiful paint finish in matte black and red. I could not believe the value for the money. I was shocked. I am a Felt guy now! What a magnificent quality bike.

Redesigned for 2013 with a hydroformed frame and tapered head tube the Z85 is a really great value.I think that a high end aluminum bike is better than the bottom end carbon bikes if your price range is under $2,000. That said, there are many, many, many, options in the space where the Z85 operates with the biggest competition probably being the Giant Defy 1. Compared to the Giant Defy 1, the Z85 comes in more sizes and has better quality wheels (IMHO). It's also slightly less expensive. Matte Black/Red looks great. No obvious short comings. Nice frame, Quality wheels, comfortable saddle, quality components, win, win win.I'm not going to pretend that I know much about stiffness and compliance, but the Z85 offers a smooth hassle free ride and feels great climbing hills.

This is my second road bike (first was a starter specialized). I've only had this bike for a couple of months and have been racking up miles on it already. The set up suits my ride style, and the 2011 is such a comfortable ride. I have not experienced any mechanical problems. The only negative I've found is that the white grip tape gets dirty looking....but I take that as a sign that it's being used well. This bike vs. price is excellent!!

I rode this bike from Texas to Alaska and it held up pretty well. I have crashed it five times and it seems to be doing ok. I broke a derailleur hanger but that is easy to replace. Several spokes have broken from multiple of my friends that had this bike. I am a Trek guy, but this ride (2011 version) got me to Alaska. I am really impressed with Felt now.

2011 Felt z85, I love this bike. Got into cycling about 2 years ago and still do not feel the need for an upgrade. Have done 2 100k club rides and another one on the way. Made without any problems. Hangs right up there with the higher end bikes twice the price. Only issue was a spoke falling out, I could blame myself for not checking them but It happed with maybe only 100 miles on the bike. Also the seat is cool but way to stiff and a sore booty kicks in at about 20 mile on me, which takes a bit of the fun out of a ride. Felt's attention to detail has alway impressed me!

I bought this bike to replace my old Trek 1400. I tried out a couple of other bikes and this one fit me best. It is light and rigid, comfortable and easy to ride. The carbon fork really does soak up the road vibration well. The 105 derailleurs shift smoothly and quickly. The 20 speeds coupled with the compact chain rings give one all the gearing required for the southern California terrain.
On the downside, the stock tires are on the heavy side and the stock brake pads are about worthless. The saddle horn is too wide for my anatomy. All of these "problems" are easily fixed with simple parts swapping. The Tektro brakes accept standard Shimano/SRAM brake pads. The tires are easy to change. The seat is also simple to change out. The only area that I think could use a bit of attention that will cost is the FSA Vero cranks. Their chain rings are a little flexy under hard pedaling and causes some rubbing on the front derailleur. This can be fixed by some adjustment, but I would rather have the stiffer Shimano rings to start.
Overall, this bike is a great value for someone looking for a strong and rigid aluminum frame. Good component selection and light weight makes this a great deal, easily competing against the offerings of all of the other major manufacturers in this price range.

This was my first road bike. It's not entry level, but mid-level. The bike is light for not being all carbon and components are smooth and last. They upgraded to Mavic wheels with the new model (a good thing). I've raced this bike in 3 Century's and 4 triathlons and it has performed exceptionally well for this price & component range. My next bike will be another Felt.